Christmas Playlist

Updated and revised for Christmas 2018!

Oh come on, it’s not too early now!

I rewrite this every year, but I at least give it until December before unleashing a bit of Christmas on Twitterland.

I love loads of Christmas songs – there, I’ve said it! So much so that limiting myself to just 15 entries on this blog was pretty tricky, and hard though I tried I just couldn’t place them in order of preference. Each year one song seems to grab me in particular as a ‘favourite’, but more often than not a different one will topple it the following year.

So here are 15 of my faves – with a few hyperlinks if you want to get festive.

You’ll notice there’s not a trace of Cliff, Jive Bunny or Mariah Carey – I’m not saying I dislike them though. In fact, think yourselves lucky that I didn’t include the songs that merely remind me of Christmas, on the basis they were released in December etc. (Blur, Oasis, Michael Jackson, Björk etc.)

Sometimes you just run out of space and time…

Wonderful Christmastime – Paul McCartney

This was my favourite one as a child – maybe because there’s lots of ding-dong-ding-donging, and at school the most exciting instrument I ever got to use was a chime bar (musical note C of course).

Sir Macca doing what he does better than most – simple, catchy and melodic. And for good measure for my local readers, the accompanying music video was filmed in good old Sussex at The Fountain Inn, Ashurst

The Christmas Song – Nat 'King' Cole

Got to have a bit of tradition. Nat actually recorded several different versions of this, but the differences are so negligible, only a finely tuned ear might notice. Reminds me of my childhood and a roaring fireplace – which is odd as I didn’t have one (fireplace that is!)

Man that guy had a voice sweeter than honey.

 

Stop the Cavalry – Jona Lewie

Every year I can’t help but change the dub-a-dub-a-dum-dum bit into an advert jingle in my head for Deb-a-deb-en-hams. I even suggested it to a Debenhams CEO. “Thanks, but no thanks Bez!” was their short reply.

The song itself has barely anything to do with Christmas, but a few sleigh bells make a huge difference #whoismarybradley?

Step into Christmas – Elton John

This sticks in my mind due to it playing throughout a trip to the Santa’s Grotto at the legendary Brighton department store Hanningtons (RIP) in the early 1980’s. Oddly enough it didn’t fly too high in the charts when first released (there was good competition in the charts in 1973), but the royalties that Sir Elton has recouped since then has probably eased his pain somewhat!

Sleigh Ride – The Ronettes

Back when Phil Spector was merely a superb producer of pop and wall of sound mono, he gave us his ‘Christmas Gift’ album.

It is without doubt the best Christmas album ever created, and any number of songs from it would grace many a Christmas playlist, but Sleigh Ride is brilliant brilliant brilliant… and even better in stereo if you can get it. Sung with all the panache and charm the amazing Ronnie Bennett/Spector could muster. Did I say it was brilliant? It’s super brilliant.

And someone somewhere needs to remaster these Spector babies into crisp stereo please.

River – Robert Downey Jr

What’s that then? Well from the intro, you might think it’s a serious version of Jingle Bells, but that does it a huge disservice. RDJ (with help from the fab Vonda Shepard) covered this Joni Mitchell classic during his stint on the much missed TV show Ally McBeal, and he absolutely nailed it. If you only click on one of the hyperlinks on this blog, click on this one. Beautiful song: River

Merry Christmas Everyone – Shakin' Stevens

The most Christmassy promo video since NORAD Tracks Santa went viral on YouTube. Shakey’s career peaked with this nearly-Christmas-number-one (depends on which chart you look at) but he’d had a good run, and holds the crown of being the most successful UK Singles chart act of the 1980’s. Not bad when you consider who he was up against (Madonna, Michael Jackson, Queen etc)

Last Christmas – Wham!
Probably my favourite all time Christmas song, but really the only version you should listen to is the 6 minutes+  Pudding Mix
It probably carries more poignancy with the tragic passing of GM on Christmas Day 2016 - but Last Christmas has always been revered.
In my teens I used to repeatedly listen to this through headphones and immerse myself in its sad sob story. In the dark. #shelteredteenyearsActually I still listen to music in the dark, so not much has changed!

I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday – Wizzard
Dead unlucky to have been released the same year (1973) as Slade’s Merry Xmas Everybody – in any other year it might have performed better in the charts than it eventually did. Let’s not mention the mash up version that The Wombles did with Roy Wood though… we’ll forgive the legendary Roy, on the basis that he also formed the original Electric Light Orchestra don’t you know!? And was the first artist ever to be heard on BBC Radio One.

I Believe In Father Christmas – Greg Lake

Performed by yet another musician who has sadly passed away.

I really wasn’t keen on this one growing up, as I didn’t think the video was Christmassy enough. I clearly missed the point! A song perhaps initially intended to be about the over commercialisation of Christmas, but with a push from Prokofiev’sTroika it still manages to drill home the essence of Christmas: Belief.Love.Spirit

Christmas Wrapping – The Waitresses

Very cutesy song from this post punk band. Covered in a very poppy way by the Spice Girls, but maybe they didn’t quite capture it quite so well (and they omitted a verse for some reason!?)

Lead singer Patty Donahue died well before her time, but her song will ensure she won’t be forgotten.

Fairytale of New York – The Pogues featuring Kirsty MacColl

Another one that slipped under my radar when first released (1987) – possibly because it might have received a radio ban due to some industrial language lyrics? Consistently voted as a Christmas favourite in polls, so it appears to have earned its’ place at the top table, though I can’t escape the idea that it has become a bit of a bandwagon song i.e. it’s become a fashionable song just BECAUSE it’s trendy to like it. It wouldn’t be on this list if I didn’t like it, but the way it has gained its momentum of popularity has always struck me as a bit odd.

Happy Xmas (War Is Over) – John & Yoko

After a family bereavement in November one year, I listened to this song incessantly. I don’t know if I was in denial, or if it simply cheered me up, but maybe it just gave me some hope and comfort.

In a similar vein to his former song-writing partner mentioned earlier, it’s brilliantly simple and melodic. You’ll never miss it, as it gets re-released every year.
Not keen on the various cover versions though – some songs should just be left alone!

Driving Home For Christmas – Chris Rea

Traditionally it’s the song I play in the car on my way home from my last working day before Christmas #OCD

Possibly the most loved underachieving Christmas song ever. Everyone seems to like it, but incredulously it only peaked at number 53 (UK charts) when first released and even on re-release the best it’s ever achieved is number 26. Given another worthy lease of life in recent years due to the terrific SHELTER charity video below:

Driving Home For Christmas (Shelter Video)

And finally…December Song (I Dreamed of Christmas) by George Michael.

This has been hovering around this playlist for years, and has now earned its place. The ever generous George Michael (revealed as a HUGE philanthropist after his sad death) actually gave this song away as a freebie download from his website when first issued on Christmas Day 2008.

Quite a few people missed out on that event, so it was released as a physical single a year or so later – and even then it still couldn’t catch up with demand until it was made available for regular downloading.

Originally written with the Spice Girls in mind to record it, I’m not sure they would have done it the justice that GM has. A truly lovely sentimental song.

Merry Christmas one and all!

Belief.Love.Spirit XxX

My Favourite Things (well specifically Albums) Part 1

During last summer on Facebook, a thread trended about people revealing their top ten albums of all time, and why the album had made an impression on them.

I listed mine at the time in a rush as I suspected the idea was that you shouldn’t have to think about it too hard. That said having given it a little more time to reflect, I thought I’d give it another go.

Obviously, millions of people love greatest hits albums and Original Soundtracks (OST) (e.g. The Eagles Greatest Hits, The Bodyguard OST), but for my own list I have avoided these categories.

Each to their own, but there is enough on my list to make others chuckle without me feeling the need to add, for example, The Sound of Music OST to it.

And on that note, I really don’t mind if any of the albums I’ve selected below do indeed get laughed at and I fully expect that to be the case for some! Music choices are SO personalised, and songs stay with us for many reasons, so I’m a huge advocate that people should never be ashamed of the music they like. There are enough genres out there to cater for everybody’s tastes, so live and let live.

Anyways, in reverse order, here is part 1 (albums 10 to 6) …and feel free to click on the hyperlinks:

10. Ten Good Reasons – Jason Donovan

I might as well start as I intend to go on! Yes Jason Donovan. I love my 80’s pop, and this is one of the quintessential ‘pop’ albums of the late 80’s. It sold millions, and yes a very high percentage of those buyers were probably teenage girls, but this teenage boy bought it too and enjoyed virtually every song on it. On the basis that so many girls liked Jason Donovan, I recall thinking it genuinely might help me get a girlfriend if I liked it too #laughtercombustion

Favourite song: You Can Depend On Me

09. Different Class – Pulp

BritPop at it’s finest, and Pulp gave us at least two of the biggest anthems during my dev years in Common People and Disco 2000.

Poignant and accurate songs to the last note. Most people I knew DID have woodchip on their walls.

I bought this at Woolworths (RIP) in Southwick Square (West Sussex, UK) in January 1996, primarily as I hoped to see a girl who worked there that I’d plied with drinks two nights before at the Paradox nightclub in Brighton.

Did I find her? Did I f…

Favourite song: the aforementioned Disco 2000

08. Spiceworld – Spice Girls

Back to pop cheese (no, not pop tarts) and the Spice Girls. Their first album Spice was pretty good in its own right, but this follow up was the phenomenon of the Spice Girls at their absolute peak – every song could easily have been a single. This lingers with me as I used to play it on the way to and from work (Sainsburys, Lewes Rd, Brighton) and in particular when driving past the old Goldstone Ground (another RIP) during its final memorable season hosting Brighton and Hove Albion FC.

Favourite song: Too Much

07. Listen without Prejudice vol.1 – George Michael

I could easily have chosen any one of three George Michael albums. I love Older and Patience almost as much as LWPv1, but it just edges ahead on the basis that Cowboys &Angels is on it.

It’s stayed with me as I used to clog up pub jukeboxes by setting about 7 or 8 of the songs to play two or three times in a row! When on Earth are you going to make LWP volume 2 Mr Panayiotou?

And here’s a useless fact: this is technically the only album in this list that I didn’t purchase myself – it was a Christmas present! A couple of others were also bought for me but I’ve since repurchased them myself for various reasons.

Favourite song: Cowboys & Angels of course!

06. HIStory – Michael Jackson

As a big fan of Michael Jackson, I can still remember the huge anticipation I had for this album's release. The night before it came out, I was in Brighton on my way to The Event nightclub for a colleague's birthday – actually it was The Event II nightclub, having reopened a week or so before following a revamp. The club was stone dead, and a few other issues between friends were kicking off, resulting in one instance of me preventing a guy being beaten up amongst other things. Bored and disillusioned, I left early and wandered back alone along Western Road, Brighton, and having grabbed a box of Cheeky Chicken, I strolled along to HMV. It had a huge window display advertising HIStory, and I felt a lot cheerier after seeing that!

I went home to bed, and got an early bus straight into town to buy the double album and listened to it solidly for weeks on end, writing down all the lyrics and learning them by heart. By far and away this was Jackson’s most personal album in terms of content, had it not been so pricey (the double album was half greatest hits, and half new material) I'm convinced more people would have bought it and it may have even rubbed shoulders with the astronomical sales figures of some of his other albums. It was definitely the last time that he put such enormous effort into a project. After HIStory, I guess he just "ran outta gas..."

Favourite song: Stranger in Moscow, though closely followed by the unreleased Tabloid Junkie. Special mention should go to the awesome Hani's Club Experience version of Earth Song. How anyone could have made Earth Song such a huge trance hit on the club scene deserves a medal!

I’ll post the top five shortly – that’s if I didn’t lose you with Jason Donovan and the Spice Girls of course…

November 1993

Someone asked me recently if I missed going out on the lash and pubbing and clubbing. I honestly hadn’t given it much thought, having been so busy since the time when I guess you could say that I ‘stopped’ doing all that.

Giving it some reflection though and casting my mind back, I have to say that initially (i.e. the first three years worth of clubbing) I didn't really enjoy it at all.

I’d been drinking in pubs for years – my first time being half a Guinness that my dad bought for me at the St George Inn in Portslade when I was about 4 years old. I was sitting at his feet at the bar and he opted to hand me down a half of the black stuff rather than a coke for that particular round!

But in terms of clubbing, I first went in November 1993.

Most (though not all) of my friends used to go to The Event nightclub (now called Prizm) in West Street, Brighton but in truth I virtually had to force myself to go, as I really wasn’t fussed about going. I had glandular fever and anaemia around the ages of 17 to 19, so maybe that explains my nonchalance to it all! Not that the first night I went clubbing was uneventful though…

I remember that first walk down the stairs into the club and seeing a particular girl from school – a girl that virtually everyone fancied – walking towards me and my mates. Now I’ve never been keen on girls being too heavily made up with garish lipstick etc. and have always preferred a more natural look, but she looking stunning and it struck me that we were no longer kids in a playground.

I didn’t get drunk, but that was mainly because I hadn’t really found my tastes in alcohol yet. I’ve never really liked beer, and I hadn’t discovered spirits at that time, so I tended to just push and tolerate my way through a few bottles of Budweiser and peel the labels off just waiting till midnight when the ‘decent’ music started. This would be a forty five minute session of 80’s music or commercial chart songs. I was never into the heavy techno, trance or garage music that was played for most of the night. I was far happier listening and dancing to Michael Jackson, Madonna, Wham!, Madness, Dexy’s Midnight Runners etc. than the other stuff on offer. They even played Beatles and Stones songs on occasion.

Pretty much that became the pattern for a few years. Save money, go clubbing, drink poor beer, enjoy 45 minutes of music, eat takeaway chicken and taxi home.

Hardly exciting times, but just to add to my indifference on that first night, on the way home one of the lads in our cab was sick which meant the rest of us chipping in to pay the cabbie the ‘clean-up’ fee. Deep joy.

And if that wasn’t enough, when I got home I found I had great difficulties in taking out one of my contact lenses. I kept trying to get hold of it and pinching and missing before eventually being in tremendous pain. It turned out I must have been at least partially inebriated as I’d actually already got the lens out, and was in fact pinching my eye-ball. Eventually I went to a&e, and after a few hours and scans later, the doctor said I had three scratches across my eye and put a few drops over them to ease the pain… though I had to put up with triple vision for a few days.

After a few years of trudging through boring nights out, things finally improved as I started to find other club nights, like 80’s nights and student nights (with music I liked played endlessly)…and the cheap spirits and mixers offers often helped!

It was mainly about the music for me, but once I worked out what drinks I genuinely liked (dark rum and coke / southern comfort and lemonade) I found my enjoyment of the nights out increased immensely.

And I believed I’d found the answer to clubbing enjoyment in one word:

Friday

Such a different group of people would go out in Brighton on a Friday night compared to a Saturday night. The atmosphere was so much more relaxed and you didn’t have to actively try and avoid the people who couldn’t handle their shandies.

My Friday nights between the ages 22 to 26 took on a life in itself. Work pending, I was out with a certain group of friends every other Friday. It possibly looks uninspiring looking back, and I didn’t travel the world and change lives etc…I just had a really enjoyable social life with my friends, with such a simple routine: 

1. Get ready between 4-5pm – music a-blaring throughout
2. 6pm: With a full wallet (£60) make way to friend’s house for a few alcoholic 'tasters'
3. Get to the Pull & Pump Pub at 7pm-ish and await the arrival of others in the crew
4. Move on to the Quadrant Pub for 8pm (cart wheeling through the Imperial Arcade on the way) - insist on the bar staff putting THIS on the jukebox and gently mocking the Bryan Ferry and Mark Owen look-alikes
5. Down to The Event (by 1015pm to avoid the queues)
6. Get hammered on cheap booze, do a circuit of the club to see who is about.
7. Dance ourselves sober
   
   
8. Get hammered again (do another circuit - week after week we would contrive to not pull a single girl- this is why >>>
   
9. Leave at about 130am to avoid the crying girls who invariably had lost their purses
10. Go to Hungry Years night club (RIP)...
    
    
    
    ...to meet with others in the crew
11. Head to Subway for a foot long double (quadruple) cheese, double bacon, single turkey, BBQ sauce and salt fest… served by a kid we called Andy. But that wasn't his real name… or was it? He might have been called Bob.
12. Walk as far as we could before we were just too knackered to go on... and hail a cab with whatever change we had left, and get dropped off wherever the money ran out
13. Leg it across Easthill Park kicking an imaginary football into the goalposts that were set up for the Saturday morning league games
14. Get home at around 3am and go on ICQ to talk again to the people I’d spent all night with
15. Start to eat Subway...fall asleep
16. Wake at 7am to finish Subway and down a glass of strawberry milkshake and rejoice at yet another night out with no hangover!

Happy days… the trend stopped during 2001, and after that I had children and priorities changed!

When I stopped going, I definitely missed it, but I think I’d had my time and in particular I thoroughly enjoyed the latter part of it. Many of my other mates who didn't come along used to give me tremendous stick for my habitual routine, but I couldn't care less… it was my music and my time and I loved it.

And tellingly, whenever they came with us, they tended to love it too.

I went many years before going clubbing again, but relived a few good nights nonetheless. When Michael Jackson died in 2009, during a period when I was going through something of a personal breakdown, I went to The Event (by then renamed Oceana) as where better to go to grieve on various levels than to somewhere that was celebrating his musical legacy. They didn’t let me down and literally every other song that night was a Jackson classic.

And this boy was last seen leaving a nightclub in August 2009, with Black or White playing in the background…

Update!

Rummaging around I came across the song list for that first night clubbing - the aforementioned '45 minutes of decent music':

Boom! Shake The Room - Fresh Prince & DJ Jazzy Jeff

We Will Rock You - Queen

Right Here - SWV

Grease Megamix - John Travolta & Olivia Newton-John

Summertime - Fresh Prince & DJ Jazzy Jeff

Satisfaction - Rolling Stones

Out Of Space - The Prodigy

Leader Of The Gang - Discredited 70's artist

Baggy Trousers - Madness

Atomic - Blondie

Come On Eileen - Dexy's Midnight Runners

People Everyday - Arrested Development

Moving On Up - M People

Informer - Snow

Jump Around - House Of Pain

Relight My Fire - Take That & Lulu

Just don't ask me why I still have that play list to hand!

Update 2016!!!

Remember the girl on the stairs at the Event near the start of this blog?

Well in August 2016, I bumped into her for the first time in years at a friend’s birthday party.

 

Many mutual friends from back in the day were there and as 40 year olds we drank, laughed and danced to 80’s / 90’s music galore, just like before. And for completeness I thought it might be nice to offer up this little soundbite that she told me:

“I miss nights like these…”